Poultry farm workers in Russia have contracted H5N8 avian influenza, in the first recorded cases of humans being affected by the virus.
Anna Popova, the country’s public-health chief, said in a televised briefing that the country had notified the World Health Organisation about the seven cases. There is no evidence the virus is spreading between people.
The affected workers at the poultry farm, where an outbreak among birds was reported in December, had mild cases and have recovered, Popova said.
The WHO said the affected poultry workers were asymptomatic and no onward human-to-human transmission was reported.